Despite Offensive Woes, Mets Beat Giants
Mets fans were angry when Matt Cain started the All-Star game over R.A. Dickey. Well, they got their revenge Wednesday night in San Francisco.
Things got off to a good start for the Mets — Ruben Tejada led off the game with a home run. His first homer of the season gave the Mets a 1-0 lead.
With one out in the second singles by Josh Thole, Jonathon Niese (faking a bunt and almost taking Marco Scutaro’s head off) and Ruben Tejada loaded the bases. Thole scored on a fielder’s choice by Jordany Valdespin to make it 2-0.
Cain lasted only five innings, allowing the two runs on seven hits and three walks. The Mets would have scored more runs had it not been for some poor base running and a sensational catch by center fielder Gregor Blanco.
Buster Posey cut the lead in half with a solo home run in the sixth.
The Mets loaded the bases against George Kontos in the seventh with one out when Tejada walked, Valdespin reached on an error and David Wright walked. He was lifted in favor of Javier Lopez, who got Ike Davis to ground into an inning-ending double play, blowing another chance to add runs.
Niese pitched extremely well, going seven innings, allowing one run on three hits, striking out five and walking two.
The Mets threatened again in the eighth against Clay Hensley. Daniel Murphy led off the inning with a walk and stole second. Jason Bay walked and Mike Baxter was hit by a pitch (he made no effort to get out of the way) to load the bases. Thole hit a grounder to first baseman Brett Pill. He threw home for the force there. Then Posey threw back to first and his throw hit Thole in the back. However Thole was clearly out of the running lane and was called out. The runners were put back at first and second. A double steal advanced them to second and third, and Justin Turner walked to load the bases again. Brad Penny then came into the game to face Tejada, and a great play on a grounder by second baseman Ryan Theriot denied the Mets additional runs yet again.
The Mets put runners on base again in the ninth. Wright singled and Davis doubled, putting runners on second and third with one out. Murphy was intentionally walked to load the bases. Bay hit a rocket right back to Penny, who then threw over to first to double-up Murphy to end the inning. The Mets had the bases loaded in three straight innings and came away with nothing. Amazing.
After Tim Byrdak and Jon Rauch pitch a flawless eighth, Bobby Parnell came on to pitch the ninth. This time he got the job done to nail down the save.
Mets win 2-1 despite their utter incompetence offensively — they had 19 base runners and scored just two runs, leaving 13 runners on base. So they guarantee themselves at least a split of the four game series with the Giants. Stumbling into a series against a first place team, you couldn’t really ask for more. And they could take three out of four if they win Thursday afternoon.